The Champions League quarter-finals witnessed another top-notch clash as Real Madrid advanced to the semi-finals with a 4-3 victory over defending champions Manchester City in a penalty shootout.
Manchester City were defeated by Real Madrid in the penalty shootout
For two consecutive seasons, Manchester City’s hopes of securing a treble were shattered, with Erling Haaland once again bearing the brunt of criticism. Facing Real Madrid for the fourth time, he failed to find the net, leaving him disappointed.
In the first leg, Real Madrid and Manchester City engaged in an intense battle, ending in a thrilling 3-3 draw. However, Haaland was effectively neutralized throughout the match by Luidig, prompting criticism from former Manchester United star Keane, who likened his performance to that of a League One player.
Keane has criticized Haaland!
Returning to their home turf after an eight-day wait, Manchester City faced a daunting challenge against Real Madrid. Despite their previous 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the last season, most fans favored Manchester City.
However, Real Madrid’s counterattacks proved lethal, with Rodrygo opening the scoring in the 12th minute. Under pressure, Haaland once again failed to deliver.
Rodrygo scored!1-0!
In the 16th minute, a long-range pass from Rodri found Grealish on the left, whose cross was met by Haaland’s header, but it went over the bar.
Haaland’s header went over the bar!
In the 18th minute, a direct pass from Bernardo Silva on the right found De Bruyne, whose cross was saved by Lunin but failed to clear.
Manchester City continued to press, with Haaland’s header hitting the crossbar, followed by a close-range shot from Bernardo Silva.
Haaland hit the bar!
Luck was not on Haaland’s side.
In a crucial moment, De Bruyne seized an opportunity near Luidig’s clearance in the 76th minute, scoring from close range to keep Manchester City’s hopes alive.
De Bruyne scored the equaliser!
However, they failed to break the deadlock, and in the 88th minute, Haaland had another chance to be the hero. De Bruyne’s corner found him unmarked, but his header hit the side net.
Haaland again!
At the start of extra time, Guardiola substituted Alvarez for Haaland, indicating his disappointment with the latter’s performance.
Throughout the match, Haaland had five shooting opportunities, with four off target and one on target, hitting the woodwork once. Despite being a goal-scoring machine, he only touched the ball 21 times, completed five successful passes, and lost possession seven times, earning a post-match rating of just 7.2, falling short of expectations.
Haaland’s performance was disappointed!
Despite Guardiola’s defense of Haaland, claiming that Manchester City would not have won the treble without his goals and influence, his failure to score against Real Madrid for the fourth time is difficult to ignore.
Goodbye to Ballon D’or?
With Manchester City’s elimination, Haaland’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or have diminished, despite potentially securing the Premier League and FA Cup titles. Considering the upcoming Euros and Copa America, his hopes for the award have dwindled.
